Provincial Grand Lodge Of Hampshire And The Isle Of Wight.

brother of such distinction presiding m this province , for whilst he held a distinguished position as a conntry gentleman , he was a true working Alason , always accessible to the brethren and the lodges , and was ready to take part in their ceremonies , setting them an example in the

accuracy and care with which those ceremonies were rendered , and in the urbanity and kindness which a Master should always exhibit . He was distinguished not only in his own person , but in the name which he inherited , for he had the rig ht sort of father before him , whose name was

dear to many old residents in Ha _ mpshire . They had in the son the additional advantage of his being a brother Alason . They had only to go into his immediate neighbourhood to find what they thought of him . Whether it was the humblest labourer on his estate or the proudest

gentleman who sat beside him , he was hospitable , kind and noble-minded . He was happy to say he assembled a large number of Oddfellows and Foresters in his park on the previous day—people engaged in the same philantrophic work as

themselves , and their Grand AIaster was amongst them , cultivating those nei ghbourl y feelings , and that brotherly love so akin to his warm-hearted temperament . Whatever position he was p laced in he dignified , and every man liked to call him his friend . ( Applause . )

The toast was drunk with great enthusiasm . The Provincial Grand Alaster , in responding , said it gave him the very greatest pleasure to come amongst them , and to have the opportunity of thanking them for that Alasonic fee-ling which they had shown to him on every occasion he had

met them . It was indeed with feelings of proud satisfaction that he had the honour to rule over this important province , and he could assure them that from the first moment he was appointed he resolved that if he possibl y could he would do his best to earn the confidence of his

brethren . ( Hear , hear . ) Hc knew full well that , considering the extreme importance of the province , and the vast number of brethren who ranged under ils banner , il was extremel y difficult for a Grand Alaster to do all that was in his heart . He ought to attend to a meeting of every

lodge in his province . But how could he do that , with , in this province , no less than twentyseven lodges ? However much he might wish to do so in the year , ii was quite impossible , Iirst because if they counted a certain number of lodges in one year it formed no criterion of the number there would be the next year . A

few years only had elapsed since he had had the honour of presiding over ihem , and yet during that time n number of new lodges hand sprung o la into existence . He hatl never concealed his opinion that it was of no importance for lodges to como into existence unless the numbers ut re

imbued wilh those zealous Alasonic feelings which should inspire a firm confidence of success ^ bill he believed he mi ght say that every lotlge he had had the pleasure of constituting had attained a considerable reputation , and the Im-thivn had been imbued with that Alasonic IVeliis :: which had

enabled them to carry the lodge to thai p itch whicli every Alason would wish . I le had no doubt t ' lallhe lod ge he had the pleasmc of constituting lhat day would be no exception , and that from ihe auspices under which it had been constituted it would attain tlie same ri' [>' . ; t ;; lion as other lodges

which he had hatl the pleasure of constituting lie should have the grcate .-1 p ' eastnv in coniiii : down to attend a lodge in that part of the pro Wnce on a future occasion , 1 le regretted that h : nail not at the present mom ; nt the opportuniti [> i staying among them as long as lie should like

"nt it was from no fault of iiis , but from t . ' it business having occupied so much time . He "oped , however , that arrangements would be "lade before long for holding another meeting , ' which they would have the opportunity of 'Heeling around the social board , and when he

Would not be hurried away in ihe very perfunctory "Janner he was obliged to be on the present 'pension . He begged to thank the brethren of 1 "' 1 ' rovincial Grand Lodge , bul he believed his thanks were more immediately due to the

^•thre n of the Portsmouth Lodges . Ho knev . lu J » ad not had an opportunity of meeting them M 'le so often as he should have liked , but hi ^ otild onl y say it was his earnest wish to promote nu prosperity of their ledges to the utmost oi

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Hampshire And The Isle Of Wight.

his power . He could not refrain from observinc that ono of the earliest Alasonic ceremonies he was called upon to perform , in a public capacity , was to represent their Lite Grand Alaster , Admiral Sir Lucius Curtis , in constituting the United Brothers Lodge . Lie should never

forget the warm and kindl y reception he met with , in conjunction with tho Grand Alaster , and he trusted that the work then inaugurated had produced worthy fruit . The Provincial Grand Master then retired amidst the hearty plaudits of the brethren , and the chair was taken b y Bro . J . R . Stebbing , D . Prov . G . M .

Bro . Dr . Diver , P . Prov . G . AL Bombay , briefl y gdve " The Ri ght Worshi pful the Earl of Carnarvon , Deputy Grand Alaster , and thc Officers of the Grand Lodge , " and the D . Prov . G . AL , as one of the oflicers of ihe Grand Lod ge , responded .

Bro . Eve , P . Prov . G . S . W . Hants , said they had an excellent Provincial Grand Alaster , who thoroughly understood the principles of their Order , and who was desirous of doing the utmost he could to further those princip les , for the benefit of the Craft in general , and of the

province in particular . But he had never shown his ability more titan in selecting the brother on his ri ght ( Bro . Stebbing ) . He could not have made a better choice , or one that fell iu more with the feelings of all the brethren . As long as he had known the province he had always the name of

Stebbing within his cars when anything in the shape of Alasonry was thought or spoken of . For years past lie had exerted himself to the utmost to promote the interests of Alasonry in the province . Not onl y had he brought his will to bear upon it , but he had in himself the inherent

capacity for g iving effect to that will , and perfecting it as they had heard to-day . He had the peculiar faculty of making his voice heard and Iiis sentiments felt , and of doing that amount of good which only man of his capacity could . Not only in Hants , but in London , and other parts

of the country he was well known . His feelings for Alasonry they could all appreciate . The spontaneous effusion of his that day was sufficient lo glow the heart of any brother It showed that he had the full spirit and feeling of Alasonry in him , when he was able , on the spur

of the moment , to deliver that grand oration . He then gave "Thc Worshi p ful j . R . Stebbing , Past Grand Deacon , Deputy Prov inei . il Grand Alaster , " and said he was sure they would receive it in such a manner as to show that they not onl y appreciated his abilities and his willingness to

serve them , but the good work which he had actually done . Bro . / . R . Stebbing , D . l ' rov . G . AL , who was greeted wilh repealed rounds of applause , said he felt this was a compliment paid him , when after many roving years he visited his native

lown , the place of his earliest and happiest associations , and , wherein and in connection wherewith , if he added tho Alasonic career of his good old father to his own , they shot . Id make tip very nearly a hundred years devoted to Masonry , and perhaps tlie most useful part of either

ii ' . s father ' s life or his own . When he recollected lo . it Alasonry was reconstructed from its ancient character in 1717 , ami that he appeared there to-day connected with a family that had been at social . ' . . 1 with Alasonry for more than half the period . thai : li ::-. l exnired since lhat lime , ( and if

lie were to and lo that outer family a-soeialien ; with AlasniiiT , he would make 1 H ' . ir . s' connection of the n . - . oi" of Stebbing with th . ' Order ) of all things he had been connicicd with nothing was more cheering than to be able to lojk back upon a long period , not of honours and wealth .

but of connection with that brother , lhe most noble and illustrious and the most useful the world had ever seen . 1 le ventured in thelodge that day to say something of thc ancient character of Freemasonry , ami it was not his intention to go over the same ground again , but he might be permitted to speak with pride and

pleasure of their ancient institution . A great deal had been said during the last few years by historians and antiquarians in connection with the Order , but they should never lose si g ht of the fact that Ala .-onry was always tin ancient institution , and if they looked back to the records of 1717 , which some foolish men had fixed as the dtite ofthe oii giu of Freemasonry , they

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Hampshire And The Isle Of Wight.

would find that the men who then assembled fresh from the work of building St . Paul ' s Cathedral , which was carried on some 40 years anterior , were presided over b y that great Alason Sir Christopher Wren , who was an old Grand Alaster of that day . The Book of Constitutions

of 1723 spoke of thc old records of Masonry , and in the grand old song which they sang with so much deli ght , they said : Antiquity ' s pride we have on our side , Which maketh men just in their station : and , therefore , when that song was written it was

not written in connection with a new institution . They should never forget these old associations , and when men talked and rushed into print , propounding strange doctrines and talking much nonsense , and fixing a date or age for Alasonry , they could tell them it was a g iant in age and a

glorious tiling in anti quity . There were great things in tradition , and go where they might they found that every nation , tribe , and people had traditions in which there was a great amount of truth , and the old history of countries , arithmetic , grammar , logic , music , and other

such things had a connection with the ancient society of which they were the happy depositaries and the fortunate associates . In the middle ages those ancient rites and curious practices , of which they had a knowledge but to despise , many were they knew taken from thc Alasonic institution .

In ancient times they found in Alasonry the same hi gh relations to truth , the same devotion to those princi ples that made them rejoice in their institution , which would live for ever , if they onl y practised its sacred dictates , and they mig ht say of Alasonry Her monuments may fade away ,

Her truth and social love shall ne ' er decay Temples mi ght vanish , palaces mi ght be destroyed , the most glorious buildings in the world might be lost , but in the truth and justice of their Order , in brotherl y love , relief , and truth , iu being kind to one another and setting an example to the outer world , Alasonry would endure ,

new in its beauties , and lovel y in the old past that had gone . They should never forget to reverence things that were old . Hc recollected hearing a man , on such an occasion as this , say , "Ah , I like old things . I like everything that is antique and beautiful to reflect upon , " when some was ; remark , " You like old women . " The

reply was , " \ es , I love my dear old mother . " ( Applause . ) Let them never forget the recollections of their mother in Alasonry and in life ( a phrase that his brother Alasons would understand ) , and it would keep them ri ght . It had been his fortune to read the book of life and other books

a little , to be mixed up with many troubles and to have many cares during a long career , and he was now hastening to the other shore . Lie could say with great truth and honesty , after nearly forty years in Alasonry , that it had been a comfort and happiness to him under every

care , and when occupying positions to which the confidence anil kindness of his fellow townsmen had elevated him , nothing hatl given him such adamantine strength as having a Alason to lean upon , and knowing that he would defend a brother in his absence as in his presence .

Iiro . R . Stebbing , D . P . G . M ., next gave "Thc Visitors , " coupled with thc name of Bro . ( esse Owens , Secretary of Hanwell Lunatic Asylum , who , with two other visiting brothers , responded .

Hro . Legh Baily , W . AI . 237 , gave "The War dens and Ollieers of Provincial Grand Lodge . " 1 le proposed the toast with the greatest pleasure , because it gave him thc opportunity of thanking the Prov . G . AL for the honour conferred upon his own lodge , which was one of the oldest in thc province , and had been the cradle of many

excellent and worth y Alasons . Bro . the lion . Somerset Calthorpe , Prov . G . S . Warden , responded . He felt that he held the ollice , certainl y not from any merit of his own , but because he had reason to believe that the Provincial Grand Alaster wished to pay , 1 compliment to the brethren of the Isle of Wi ght . He believed it was well known to them all that

until quite lately the bret ' ncii of the Island thought propur not tti join the Provincial Grand Lotlge of Hampshire , and hc was sure that now they had come to a sense of what he thought was due to them and to the Provincial ( Jrand Lodge of Hampshire they would for the future pull